Consistency is key to achieve one’s dreams, says Tawajud

From a young age, Tawajud Lwenduru knew that she would become an advocate. In fact, it all started as a tactic to avoid solving mathematics problems, which she found difficult. Little did she know that this passion—which had developed as a result of her avoiding math—would eventually lead her to become an advocate and head of Employment and Labour Litigation at KKB Attorneys.

Growing up, whenever she was asked what she wanted to become when she was older, Tawajud drew inspiration from her mother, who was a diplomat based in the United Kingdom; later, this changed.

“When I began my primary education, I found mathematics to be the hardest subject of them all. I couldn’t get around math problems and their relationship with numbers. I then asked my mother about a math-less profession so that I could begin preparing for it; she mentioned law, and from that time on, it stuck with me. I did my best to make sure I worked hard in school to become an advocate, and years later, here I am,” she recalls.

Her first day in court was a mixture of fear and shyness, as she was repeatedly asking for the room number in which she was supposed to meet the judge for a case hearing.

“It is a profession that has helped me master communication skills. It has also made me more confident when I speak to a client or in the courtroom. Being an advocate has made me find ways to speak words that would make a client feel heard and appreciated rather than judged based on their situation. As of now, the court is now for me a familiar territory because I have become accustomed to how it functions,” she says.

On December 1, 2021, KKB executive leaders called a meeting to announce structural changes, and she was appointed to head the labour department. A month later, she took the reins of the role and began to learn different things about it. Around the same time, she became vulnerable due to the uncertainties the position came with.

“During the first month alone, I lost a number of retainers, and it felt like I was not doing something correctly, aside from the fact that I had just started working in this role and I was still learning my way around the responsibilities it comes with,” Tawajud explains.

In this role, she ensures, alongside her team, that clients are labour compliant and that all employees of their clients have contracts. On the other hand, she solves labour-related cases as an advocate. Tawajud reveals that there are times she has been underestimated based on her gender. “When another person undermines your abilities because you are a woman, that gives you a chance to show that person and other people that you are twice as capable and experienced as they are. There have been times when I have won a number of cases after the advocate on the other end underestimated me because I am a woman. It is such a good feeling,” she details.

Tawajud describes her leadership style as “counselling with intent to guide the people she works with in a manner that every person on her team exudes the same values when dealing with clients.”

“I am the type of manager who likes to lead her team down a path that exemplifies how we deal with clients.  I have a tendency of probing my team for information so that I may identify knowledge gaps and determine the most effective ways to help them gain expertise on that specific topic,” she explains.

Tawajud emphasizes that consistency is key, and it helps make sure that an individual is not stagnant and grows in their line of work.

“Consistency is key when it comes to climbing one’s career ladder. There are days you will not be motivated to do anything, yet when you push yourself to do what you do best, you push yourself towards greater heights,” she says. Tawajud also lauds the role of mentorship and the way it has shed light on her own career path.

“My mentor has been in the legal field for a while, longer than I have been. We have built this relationship where we talk about work and personal things, and this has not only bonded the mentor-mentee relationship between us but has also helped me to face situations and challenges with a fresh set of eyes and an experienced mind set. This has broadened my perspective as my mentor has helped me understand myself and the way I can work to achieve my visions. I would not be where I am today if it were not for her,” she details.

She says what motivates her is the need to be among the best as well as lead a comfortable and happy life.